Tripod



May 27, 1924s I r 1,495,458

K. w THALHAMMER TRIPOD Original Filed April 5, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 11,495, 8 ay 27 K. w THALHAMMER TRIPOD I KSheets-Shegat 2 Original FiledApril 5, 1920 ATTORNEY H, 1 iii, Ill

May 27, 1924. 1,495,458

K. w THALHAMMER TRIPOD Original Filed April 5, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5IIIII gym: V

Patented May 27, 1924.

KARL W. THALHA'MMER, OF LOS ANGEL-ES, CALIFORNIA.

TRIPOD.

Application filed April 5, 1920, Serial No. 371,371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL 1V. TI-rALI-IAM- MER, a citizen of Austria,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Tripod, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to tripods of the type generally used forsupporting surveying instruments, cameras and the like and has for itsobject to provide a tripod having a plurality of extensible supportinglegs which comprise slidably united sections, with means for clampingthe sections together in adjusted position at different pointsthroughout their length.

Another object is to provide means for bracing the legs and maintainingthem in their positions of transverse adjustment. Various other objectsand advantages will be more fully apparent from the followingdescription of the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisdisclosure and which illustrate a preferred form of em bodiment of theinvention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved tripod.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the leg units.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line w -ac of Fig. 2, showing theclampmg means in released position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line a: .r of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section, partly broken, of one of the legunits.

Fig. 6 is a section on line m m of Fig. 5 showing the clamping means inclamping position.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 111 -00 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a plan section on line a; m of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section showing the center rod and itsconnections.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on line With reference to Fig. 1, the.general 0rganization comprises a table plate 1 supported by three legs,each formed of two opposed main side rails 2, 3 pivotally connected tothe table plate by suitable bolts (not shown) which engage throughtransverse Renewed September 5, 1923.

orifices 4, 5 in the upper portions of the rails 2, 3 respectively. (SeeFig. 2). This is the usual well known method of pivotally connectingtripod legs to the table plate and tions 8, 9 of separate'pieces, joinedby having their lower ends encased in a sleeve 11 attached thereto byscrews 12, 12 and providing a foot projection 13. The lower end of theleg 10 is provided with aground point or spike 15 which is secured onthe leg by a screw rod 16, engaging with said spike and with anopposedplate 17. (See Fig. 5).

The inner faces of the furcations 8, 9 have longitudinally extendinggrooves 18, 19 and positioned for oscillation within said grooves aretubular cam shafts 20, 21 each being slightly flattened to ovalcross-sectional contour. Pivoted in the plate 17 there are providedopposed cooperating gear segments 22. 23 which have upwardly extendingshanks 24, 25 extending into their re spective tubular cam shafts andsecured thereto by rivet-s. (See Fig,

The upper ends of the cam shafts are reinforced by solid plugs 26, 27and secured to the terminal ends of said shafts are hand levers 28, 29extended inwardly in relative overlapping relation, one above the otherwhen in clamping positions. 7 These hand levers extend through orificesin the sides of semi-circular plates 30, 31, each extending around theupper peripheral surface of the respective furcations 8, 9. (See Figs.1, 2, 4, 5).

Attached to the inner surface of each of the plates 30, 31 by rivets 82,33, is a filler strip 84 providing a flat contact surface forcooperation with the respective cam shafts 20, 21. g

Secured to the plates 30, 31, by the rivets 82 in each instance, Iprovide clamp bands 35, 36 each encircling its respective furcation andside rail of the leg.

At the lower ends of the main side rails 2, 8 are similar clamp bands37, 88, each attached by screws 39 to its respective side rail andencircling said rail and the co-engz-iging furcation of the extensionleg together with its cam shaft.

Each of the clamp bands are preferably formed of relatively thinflexible metal so that they will readily conform to and closely engagethe leg rails and furcations.

Describing the operation of the mechanism thus far described, it will beunderstood that the function of the gear segments 22, 23 is to compel asimultaneous oscillation of cam shafts 20, 21. and that when the handlevers 28, 29 are in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the shafts in theposition shown in Fig. 4, there will be no clamping tension exerted onthe clamp bands and the extension leg 10 may be longitudinally adjustedas desired. When. the hand levers 28, 29 are moved towards each otherthe cam shafts 20, 21 will be moved to the positions shown in Figs. 6and 10, the shafts acting simultaneously upon the lower bands 37, 38directly, and upon the upper bands 34, 35, through the plates 30, 31 andtiller strips 84, with a cam action, to exert a tightening influenceupon each of the bands to clamp the extension leg in adjusted positionon the main side rails. To maintain the legs in set position, angnlarlyto the vertical and to brace the legs transversely, I provide thefollowing described mechanism which com prises a universally journaledcenter rod and a series of extensible strut elements between the centerrod and the legs.

Secured centrally to the under side of the table plate 1 is a bracket 40having a screw threaded bore in which engages a plug ll providing a seatfor the upper ball-end l2 of a depending center rod 43. A screw threadedsleeve 44 engages over the ball-end of the center rod and is screwed onthe plug 411 in abutting engagement with the bracket, this structureproviding a universal joint for the center rod. (See Fig. 9.)

Slidable on the rod 43 is a sleeve or spider 58 having a downwardlyextending barrel which is transversely split, as at 415 and ex ternallythreaded to receive a clamp nut 46 operable to clamp the spider invertically adjusted position on the rod. Transversely pivoted to eacharm of the spider 58 is a radial rod 47 telescopically engaging within acompanion tubular arm 48 having a head 49. Said head is formed with.opposed bosses 49 49 recessed to house compression. springs 50, 51. Saidsprings also engage within recessed bosses of opposed plates 5253secured respectively on the opposed lurcations S, 9 by screws 54;, 55.lt will be noted that the bosses of the head 49 tcle scopically engageinto the recessed bosses of the plates 52, 53 forming a pivotalconnection.

The inner end of each tubular arm 4-8 is split as at 56 and is threadedfor cooperation with a clamp nut 57 functioning to clamp the two strutsections ell and 48 together as a rigid unit.

The spring connection between the head 49 and the plates 52, 53 is forthe purpose of compensating for the dilferent separating distancesbetween the plates as the extension leg is adjusted upon the side rails.This construction of extensible strut elements or radius arms andcenterrod provides for a transverse bracing of the legs in a directionsubstantially at right angles to their direction of radial adjustmentand throughout a wide range of extensible adjustment of the sepa rateleg units.

It will be noted that in each limb of each leg unit, the furcations 8, 9are clan'iped to the side rails 2, 3 at two points, one at the upper endof the furcations by the clamp bands 3%, 35, and the other at the lowerends of the side rails 2, 3 by the clamp bands 37, as.

l l hen adjusted as desired and clamped in adjusted positions, themechanism herein described and illustrated, provides extensible legswhich are Very rigid and strong and in which the co-engaging parts willnot be displaced by any strains to which the tripod will likely besubjected.

I claim:

1. A tripod combining a relatively stationary table plate, a pluralityof extensible legs pivotally connected to the table plate, a center roduniversally adjustable relative to said plate, and relatively transversestrut members pivotally connected to said said rod and legs. I

2. A tripod combining a relatively stationary table plate, a pluralityof extensible legs pivotally connected to the table plate, a center roduniversally adjustable relative to said plate, a spider memberadjustable on said rod, and extensible strut members having pivotalconnections with the spider member and the legs.

A tripod combining a relatively stationary table plate, a plurality ofextensible legs pivotally connected to the table plate, a dependingcenter rod universally adjustable relative to said plate carried by thetable plate, an adjustable member clamped on said rod in adjustedposition, and strut members pivoted to said adjustable member and to thelegs, each strut member compristelescopically unit-ed sections.

4. A tripod combining a table plate, a plurality of extensible legs, acenter rod. and relatively transverse strut, members pivotfor clampingthe strut member sections together.

6. A tripod combining a table plate, sup-.

porting legs pivotally connected to the table plate, each leg comprisingopposed side rails and a bifurcated extensible leg member slidablerelative to the side rails, and means for simultaneously clamping eachof the furcations to the companion side rails at a plurality of points.throughout their lengths.

7. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs pivotally connectedto the table plate, each leg comprising opposed grooved side rails and abifurcated extensible leg member positioned with the furcations slidablewithin the groove, and means for simultaneously clamping each of thefurcations to the companion side rails at a plurality of pointsthroughout their lengths.

8. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs pivotally connectedto the table plate, each leg comprising opposed side rails and abifurcated extensible leg member slidable relative to the side rails,longitudinally spaced clamp members engaging each of the rails andfurcations, and operating mechanism for simultaneously functioning theclamp members to clamp the side rails and companion extensible legmembers together in adjusted position and at different points throughouttheir lengths.

9. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs attached thereto,each leg comprising opposed side rails and an extensible bifurated legmember, longitudinally spaced clamp bands embracing each rail andcompanion furcation, longitudinal cam shafts carried by the furcations,and operating means for each cam shaft adapted to rock said shaftscausing the clamp bands to bind the extensible leg member in adjustedposition.

10. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs attached thereto,each leg comprising opposed side rails and an extensible bifurcated legmember, clamp bands embracing each rail and companion furcation, camshafts carried by the furcations, operat ing means for each cam shaftadapted to rock said shafts to cause the clamp bands to bind theextensible leg member in adjusted position, and means compelling asimultaneous operation of both cam shafts.

11. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs attached thereto,each leg comprising opposed side rails and an extensible bifurcated legmember positioned with its furcations slidably engaging the side rails,means for clamping the side rails and said fu'rcations together inadjusted position, a universally adjustable center rod carried by thetable plate, and a strut member pivotally connected to the center rodandto the furcations .of the extensible leg member.

12. A tripod combining a table plate, supporting legs connected to thetable plate, each leg comprising opposed side rails and a bifurcatedextensible leg member slidable relative to the side rails, upper clampmembers carried by the free ends of the furcations and engaging the siderails, lower clamp members carried by the free ends of the side railsand engaging the furcations, operating means for simultaneouslyfunctioning the upper and lower clamp member of one side rail andcompanion furcation, and operating means for simultaneously functioningthe upper and lower clamp member of the other side rail and companionfurcation.

13. A tripod leg as an article of manufacture adapted for attachment toa tripod table plate and comprising, opposed side rails, an extensiblebifurcated leg member slidable relative to the side rails, upper clampmembers carried by the free ends of the furcations and engaging the siderails, lower clamp members carried by the free ends of the side railsand engaging the furcations, operating means for simultaneouslyfunctioning the upper and lower clamp members of one side rail andcompanion furcation, and operating means for simultaneously functioningthe upper and lower clamp members of the other side rail and companionfurcation.

14:. A tripod leg as an article of manufacture adapted for attachment toa tripod table plate and comprising, opposed side rails, an extensiblebifurcated leg member slidable relative to the side rails, a clampmember attached to the lower end of each side rail and embracing thecompanion furcation, a second clamp member attached to the upper end ofeach furcation and embracing the companion side rail, and meanssimultaneously functioning all the clamp members to clamp the extensibleleg member to the opposed side rails.

15. A tripod leg as an article of manufacture adapted for attachment toa tripod table plate and comprising a main rail and an extensible legmember longitudinally slidable relative thereto, a clamp member carriedby the rail and embracing the leg memher, a second clamp member carriedby the leg member and embracing the rail, and a single means forsimultaneously functioning both clamp members to clamp the rail and legmember together at two relatively spaced 5 points.

16. A tripod leg as an article of manufacture adapted for attachment toa tripod table plate and comprising two relatively slid-able legmembers, and a single means for simultaneously clamping the legl'llQlnlJElS together 1 at it plurality 01 points throughout theirlengths.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 80th clay of March 1920.

KARL V. THALHAMis lER.

Witnesses CLARENCE B. FOSTER, L. BELLE WEAVER.

